How to Steam Lobster | Expert Advice

Bertha Nunan, wife of a longtime lobsterman, shared her recipe with Yankee more than 30 years ago, in the June 1979 issue —Eds.

“The secret to cooking lobsters is not to murder them. Give them a nice, slow, respectable way out. Don’t put them in boiling water, and don’t drown them in too much water. Boiling them in a lot of water just boils their flavor out, and too much water waterlogs them. I put in two inches of water, whether I’m cooking two lobsters or 14. I take a salt container, and with the spout open, I pour it three times around the pot; then, plop! at the end [about three teaspoons]. When the water is boiling, put in the lobsters, put the lid on, and steam them for 20 minutes. Not a minute less or a minute more…. When they’re done, draw up your butter and serve the lobster with a dish of vinegar as well. Now the next step is what a lot of people, and practically all restaurants, ignore: I always put in fresh salted water for every batch of lobsters.”